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All Rise...

Appellate Judge Erick Harper knows that all the hardcore Shakespeare fans are buying this DVD.

The Charge

Mothers, Lovers, and Wives

The Case

Claire Bloom (Charly, Clash of the Titans) is one of the
most successful and best-regarded Shakespearean actresses of her generation. She
has portrayed all the most famous females in the Bard's plays: Ophelia, Juliet,
Lady Anne, Queen Gertrude, Imogen, Rosalind, and many more. She has appeared on
stage and screen with a galaxy of Shakespeare luminaries; this disc alone
features archival footage of her opposite Laurence Olivier (whom she charmingly,
startlingly refers to as "Larry"), Richard Burton, and Patrick
Stewart, just to name a few. She came of age in the 1950s, during a transition
in Shakespearean acting from the highly stylized delivery of previous
generations to a more naturalistic approach. This allowed actors of her
generation the opportunity to put a more personal stamp on their roles than had
been the case for previous generations of actors.

In this presentation, Ms. Bloom reminisces about her long and storied career
during interview segements, and also give her unique insight into the psyche and
interpretation of some of Shakespeare's most fascinating female roles.
Interspersed with these clips, she delivers monologues from the plays
themselves, excerpts from her one-woman recital program. The resulting 54-minute
program is an interesting treat for anyone trying to better understand
Shakespeare or the craft of acting in general.

Adding to the program's interest is archival footage of some older versions
of Shakespeare's plays, including a couple of silent film versions. One is a
version of Hamlet featuring legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt in the
title role (!), the only known extant footage of her in performance of any kind.
Also included is a brief clip of an acting instructor from the 1920s, who gives
a reading of Lady Macbeth's "Out, damned spot" speech in the
old-school stilted, stylized manner.

Video and audio quality is adequate but not great. The frame shows
considerable pixilation at times, as well as some serious moire and strobing
effects in fine details like line drawings from old books. Sometimes it is just
plain jittery. However, it is adequate to the task at hand, and Ms. Bloom's solo
performance segments are rendered nicely. Audio is a bit congested, but not bad.
Special features include a biography and filmography of Ms. Bloom, as well as a
collection of trailers for other offerings from First Run Features.

For fans of Shakespeare, or those who study or teach his works, this may
prove an interesting resource, likewise for those trying to study or understand
acting.